The Skjoldras
SKJOLDRAS SHIELD-RACE (singular: skjoldhal shield-hero) Leader: Wuldorfædr (Glory-Father) Ullr Six-skins - The Skjoldras leader's story revolves around defending his people against the giant hordes to the north, keeping the mines running smoothly to enable trade, and his daughter's love for a human. *Motivation (abstract want): Protect his people, especially his daughter, and solidify his nation's power. *Goal (concrete want): Open a trade route with the Esquimaux. *Conflict (obstacles): No way to engage in talks with the Esquimaux (too far), the L.O.F.T. is “too busy with more important projects” to build the necessary Air Trade vessels and facilities. Summary: Ullr has been king for nearly a century, the longest reign of any leader since The Beginning. He has seen the Domstoll more than double in size since he was crowned Wuldorfædr, after his father fell in combat protecting the Domstoll from giants. Despite his nation's belief in adapting rather than reacting to a situation, he is troubled over his father's death. He is father of Ætta (named for his mother) and still mourns the loss of his wife Gunnhildr, who was killed defending the Domstoll from a night incursion by the giants of Ashdod a decade ago. The giants have mounted a major offensive out of Ashdod twice over the past thirty years, their war machines and endless ranks lumbering down the Black Road from the North. Immediately following the attack that cost him the life of his hall-mother, Ullr ordered a two-hundred mile swath of farmland to be seeded to evergreen forest. He then laid plans for a staggered series of fortified outposts among the trees to harry any approaching forces. Due to the combined skills of the Skjoldras forest crews and the Taawa Growers, the forest has seen a remarkable forty-two feet of growth in just ten years. With the armies of the Mighty Northlands readying for another southern march, Ullr looks to the party for help finding a solution to his trade dilemma while he prepares his nation for war. Generally considered the most hygienically advanced people of Caelum, the natives of this land are short and stout, with the men ranging in height from 3'9” to 4'5” and the women rarely breaching four feet tall. The are muscular and incredibly strong for their size. The most striking feature that the men possess, and also a great source of pride, is their beard. A quick look can tell you quite a bit about the skjoldhal, including social status, his rank within the army, or his profession. In general, the longer and more ornamented a skjoldhal's beard is, the more influential he is. For women, hair color is the most noticeable characteristic upon first glance, with some female skjoldhal having taken to dyeing their hair various unnaturally occurring colors using Freethinker dyes. The vote is still out among the males as to their position on this trend. Regardless, the women wear their hair in a knot placed atop the head, which they attend to daily with elaborately carved whale bone and elephant ivory combs. Primarily an agricultural and trade nation, the first hundred years on Caelum saw rapid advances in skjoldras farming and seafaring practices. At the end of their first century, the giants came from the Northlands in a massive wave, washing through their meadows and farmland like a flood. Seeing the doom of his people unfold before his eyes, Fyrstfædr Sunhair (first father of the people) launched an immediate evacuation to a series of mountain caves located in the northwest of his land. Even after the giant threat had long passed, many of his people outright refused to leave the safety of the caves, prompting Fyrstfædr to expand the tunnels further into the mountain. Within a year of digging, the first “holl” (a large cavernous pocket within the mountain) was found, and work on a city proper could begin. Over the next few years an elaborate mining system was put into place and blacksmithing became a very valuable skill for a skjoldhal to have. The city grew in size rapidly, with the discovery of two additional holls deeper within the mountain. During this time the meadows and farmlands were repopulated and cultivated under strict guidelines from the newly-named Wuldorfædr (glory-father) Sunhair. The pastoral community, Skali, was centralized on a vast open grassland, to ensure that it could not be attacked by surprise. The mighty fortress of Vetrholt was built to further ensure that the Skjoldras could be warned of future giant attacks. The newest and most culturally advanced city in the nation is named Asbru (bridge), and is located on a small island at the easternmost tip of Skjoldras. From its humble beginnings as a fishing colony and minor trade port, Asbru has grown considerably in size and influence recently. This is due primarily to the construction of an air trade balloon ship facility in the city. The Skjoldras heavy armor, shields, and axes are highly sought after by the other nations. DOMSTOLL – Skjoldras capital Built from a series of interconnecting tunnels that the Skjoldras took shelter in one hundred years after The Beginning. Originally a farming people, they fled their fields for the safety of the caves when the giants made initial, bloody contact with them. The Skjoldras have quarreled with the giants ever since, prompting them to expand the original cave system from perhaps a dozen small tunnels into the vast cavernous city of Domstoll. After the first holl was discovered, rooms were carved out of the sides and the central area was converted into a large smithy. The second holl has been converted into vast warehouses for food storage, and the third houses a massive temple built around the Skjoldras Monolith. The Skjoldras Monolith is the source of their magic. The Monolith measuring roughly ten feet wide at the base extends from the floor of the holl seventy-three feet, where its needle thin tip is just short of touching the roof of the cavern. It has been said that it is an example of existing through not being. When one looks upon the Monolith one is struck most by the absence of anything else, there is no way to focus ones eyes on it and attempting to leaves one feeling physically ill. From its surface a force appears to “leak” out of the Monolith, causing a faint shimmer reminiscent of a heat mirage. Its appearance, impressive as it may be, is only half of what fascinates and draws people to it. The touch, being much like the sight, is the other half. It is neither warm, nor cool; it is smooth as the finest Taawa glass and if it weren’t for the side effects one might doubt that one was touching anything at all. While in contact with the Monolith ones body is surrounded and penetrated by the same force which it radiates. With the proper training this “dark light” can be manipulated by those who absorb it. This is a point of contention among the Skjoldras, as not all of them are comfortable wielding something that they do not consider “natural” (despite the fact that the Monolith is apparently part of the very mountain that two thirds of the population calls home). Being a very tolerant people, neither side tries to impose their will upon the other, choosing to embrace the differences that make each of them unique. This tolerance extends to the other nations of Caelum, including the giants. The Skjoldras do not bring war to the giants, they simply adapt to their aggressive nature and forge on stoically.